The blog-title is named after the legendary Maria Clara, who remains a symbol of the virtues and nobility of the Filipina woman.The all-time known character story of Maria-went-to-town is just a little reflection of an ordinary Maria who went not to the town but to the metropolitan of The Netherlands. This unleashes the impressions and depressions of the writer in many aspects of living in totally different states thinking back of the native home Philippines.

Friday, January 18, 2008

You just name it and you have it. That's what internet can offer. I just had a moment imagining, what is life without this technology. What is life abroad far from your family and friends, far from your own traditions and culture and anything that connects an immigrant's identity.

My 2-year life abroad is made easy by technology, of course not only me...it's a fact and presently a must. International calls is cheaper via discount numbers which are so many to choose from. I have a lot of them but I found one that's really cheap. Check this onGoedkoopbellen. Or, if you're just right at your desk, then VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is even cheaper just like yahoo messenger or msn where you can chat and call for free with your friends and relatives.

This blog , I started to keep contact with my family and friends. My online photoalbum that showcases my photos to connect with our beloved. There are many free photo webtools but you can upgrade it buy paying which I did for about two years now with Photoalbum.

To keep in tract with my high school buddies and college mates, Friendsteris invented, and I have it too. I have also a Hyvesaccount since friends of my husband is interconnected with this site. Hyves is known and used by many Dutch and Europeans unlike with Friendster, it is hitting mostly the Asian countries. However, I don't got much time to update it.

A lot of them present in the internet. I shop via online. I even sell my junks :-) (good as new) via Marktplaats. I do cash deposits and withdrawal via internet banking. Paypal is even easier for paying and receiving cash.

My mobile telephone with wap tools is also another option. You got connected with the world wherever you are. Though, I don't use it so often...only if I have nothing to do when I'm outside...just check my emails or sent urgent emails via my cellphone.

I read news online,Philnews (links of all Philippine online news),Volkskrant (Dutch news) and CNN ( International news). What more?

Now, I'm saying how easier it is now compared wayback ten years ago. If I came here in the Netherlands at that time...maybe it will take me box of postmails and bucket of tears (homesick) though internet is already there but the innovations now are just different than before.

Most of all, internet connected me to my husband. We are lovers of technology should I say :) Love emanates from a kind heart...but I found it via machine. Hmmmnnnn. I know I'm not just the only one who is grateful of this romantic web incident.

Millions of us...Reasons may varied but whatever are those...might be the same as what I mentioned above as my personal experiences, yet we are thankful of this technology. Personally I am :-)

Thursday, January 03, 2008

The temperature now drops at freezing point. It's freaking cold. I just had the energy to bike outside at this freezing point. Well, I just swim this morning, so I had a lot of warming up.

I just actually arrived from my biking expedition and then I run to my desk to check my emails. But then, an article struck my attention contenting about humidity relating to bad hair day. Is it interesting?

What is humidity by the way :-) Humidity is the amount of moisture in the air. The hotter the air is, the greater is the moisture. 35%-45% humidity is called to be average indoors. Instability of it may cause discomfortness, even drying of skin, allergies, itchiness and even damage of some properties inside the home. I just also read all these symptoms at Holmes humidifier web site in their Questions about humidifiers.

But too much of that, I'm interested why having a bad hair day relates with humidity.

Just quite funny, but I'm curious. I just had few bad hair days that I just ended up tying or camaouflage it by any piece to put on over my head. Enough said, the article goes like this:

"The length of a strand of human hair changes with different relative humidities. As the relative humidity increases, hair becomes longer, and as the humidity drops it becomes shorter. On very humid days, your hair actually becomes longer and this extra length causes the frizziness that gives us bad hair days".-USATODAY.com

So, human (or animal) hair turns out to be a pretty good way to measure the humidity, as you ever complained about a "bad hair day," can tell you that it's time to stabilize your home's humidity. Aha! That's why I had my hair flying away. But how about falling hair? I will search for it next time. But how about you guys? Have a bad hair day? Then maybe it's time also to check Holmes humidifier . What is humidifier? It's a home appliance to help humidifying your home at the right level.

Well, it's just important to check how humid inside our house especially during the cold season. Too high and too low might jeopardize our health. The higher it is, makes our windows and glasses are dampy and wet, where molds and bacteria can grow; the lower it is, the dryer the air we breath. Just to make sure you have an hygrometer to measure humidity or a Holmes humidifier to help stabilizing it.

Check your home's amount of moisture or have a glimpse at the mirror on how your hair looks :-)

Links

About Me

Maria as Maria Clara was the chief female character of Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere who represents a native adorable filipina. Maria as a very known character in Philippine folklore that resembles her simplicity and charm but now the place of women continues to evolve in our time...different Marias...and I am one of them.